Microwavable steamer food pack

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a microwavable steamer food pack that includes a container and an insert. The container has a lower portion, an upper portion and a top edge. The insert has a plurality of opening and a pull tab and is positioned between the lower and upper portion of the container. A gelled sauce is in the lower portion of the container and food components are positioned on the insert and extend into the upper portion of the container. A covering is secured to the container. The gelled sauce remains in a solid or semi-solid state and is separate from the food components when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 60/789,313 filed Apr. 5, 2006 which is incorporated in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to food containers and more particularly for food packs with microwavable containers containing fresh food which is intended to be cooked by steaming with use of microwave energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the cooking of fresh foods using microwave energy, many food products benefit from cooking the fresh food using a steaming process. In current non-frozen (ambient or refrigerated temperature stored) steamer bowl products, there is a liquid sauce at the bottom of the bowl that moves around when the bowl is moved, for example from the production facility to the merchandising shelf, to the cashier, to the shopping bag and in the car en route to the consumer's home. When the liquid sauce contacts the food components in the steamer bowl, particularly the fresh food components, the shelf life of the food components is compromised. Extended contact of the sauce with the fresh food components, caused by the sauce moving into the food section of the steamer bowl, can also be detrimental to the eating quality of the product as the food becomes soggy. Additionally, the current steamer bowl products cannot be merchandised in a vertical position in a retailer's shelf without the liquid sauce drenching the food products in the upper portion of the bowl. Therefore, the current product cannot be merchandised in a way that allows for the full viewing of the contents of the container.

It would be desirable to have a microwavable steamer food pack that includes a sauce that will allow for the sauce to remain separate from the food components when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions or while being transported.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a microwavable steamer food pack that includes a container and an insert. The container has a lower portion, an upper portion and a top edge. The insert has a plurality of openings and is positioned between the lower and upper portion of the container. The insert has a pull tab for ease of removal upon microwaving. The lower portion of the container contains a gelled sauce and food components are positioned on the insert and extend into the upper portion of the container. A covering is secured to the container. The gelled sauce remains in a solid or semi-solid state and is separate from the food components when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions.

The lower portion of the container has a smaller dimension than the upper portion and a ledge is positioned between the lower and upper portion of the container for engaging the insert. Preferably the openings in the insert are perforations.

The covering is a sealing film covering the opening of the container which is secured to the top edge of the container or alternatively, the covering is a removable semi-rigid lid secured to the top edge of the container.

The gelled sauce is a thermoreversible gel sauce and it includes 0.5-20% of a gelling agent. The gelling agent is selected from a group consisting of gelatin, pectin, guar gums, carrageenans, konjac, algin, alginates, agar, locust bean gum, acacia gum, methylcellulose gum, carboxymethylcellulose gum, gum arabic hydroxypropylmethylcellulose gum, microcrystalline cellulose gum, furcelleran gum, gellan gum, ghatti gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, other natural gums, and native and modified starches.

The sauce ingredients are selected from a group consisting of water, tomato paste, sweeteners, soy sauce, fruit, chopped nuts, herbs, spices, flavorings and acids. The sweeteners are sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The food components are selected from a group consisting of noodles, rice, pasta, bread, vegetables, cooked eggs, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, pot stickers, buns, and dumplings. This is a representative list only. Other food components can be used.

The container and insert are formed from a microwavable material and preferably are transparent or opaque.

The subject invention also includes a method of producing a microwavable steamer food pack comprising the steps of providing a container having a lower portion, an upper portion and a top edge; dispensing a gel sauce into the lower portion of the container; placing an insert having openings and a pull tab that faces upwards for removal of the insert between the lower and upper portions of the container; placing food components on the insert; securing a covering on the container; and chilling the food pack so as to allow the gel sauce to form into a solid or semi-solid state. The food pack allows for the gelled sauce to remain separate from the food components when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the food pack of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an insert having a pull tab and the container of the food pack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of food pack container in which a gelled sauce has been dispensed:

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the insert placed over the sauce in the container illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a food component placed on the insert illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of additional food components placed on top of the food component illustrated in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the container of FIG. 6 being covered with a sealing film.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention is specifically directed to a food pack that includes a gel sauce and food components that are cooked through a steaming process in a microwave oven. The food components in the food pack include for example precooked noodles, rice and pasta, precooked meat, fish or poultry items, fresh vegetables, cooked eggs, legumes, bread items, buns, siomais, pot stickers and dumplings. The precooked meat can include, for example, chicken nuggets, fried fish, buffalo wings and skewered grilled meat and seafood. The fresh vegetables can include, for example, broccoli, carrots, peas, beans, bok choy and cabbage. The sauce can be any kind of water or cream-based sauce that is known to one skilled in the art of meal preparation. After the inventive food pack is assembled it is chilled in order to form the gel sauce into a solid or semi-solid state. It is necessary to keep the microwavable steamer food pack chilled during storage, transport to the merchandiser and when displayed in the merchandiser's facility. The food pack allows for the gelled sauce to remain separate from the food component when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions. Chilled conditions are a temperature range of 4-12° C., preferably 5-10° C., and most preferably 6-8° C.

The purchaser will place the food pack in a microwave oven for cooking. The fresh food components are cooked and the pre-cooked food components are heated through the steaming action of the sauce in the microwavable steamer food pack. After cooking, the food pack cover is taken off the container and the food contents are inverted onto a plate in which the sauce thereafter covers the cooked and heated food components. Alternatively, the container can be 1. flipped over while the cover is still in place in order to cover the food components with the sauce; 2. flipped right side up; 3. the cover is removed; and 4. the purchaser can eat the product out of the container. The insert can remain in place or be removed prior to eating.

The inventive microwavable steamer food pack 10 consists of a container 12 separated into two compartments and an insert 14 having openings 16 that will allow steam to pass through the insert 14. The insert includes a pull tab 15 for easy removal of the insert 14. The container 12 has a lower portion 18 configured to hold a sauce 34 and an upper portion 20 configured to hold the food components 22. The insert 14 is positioned between the lower and upper portions 18, 20 and holds the food components 22. (FIGS. 1 and 2)

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container 12 is in the form of a bowl and the insert 14 is perforated and configured to be fitted into the bowl 12. The lower portion 18 of the bowl 12 can be a smaller diameter than the upper portion 20 of the bowl 12, forming a ledge 24 between the lower and upper portions 18, 20 on which the insert 14 can be positioned. Alternatively, the lower and upper portions 18, 20 can be the same dimension and a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs (not shown) can be provided for holding the insert 14 between the lower and upper portions 18, 20. In one embodiment, the bowl 12 has a generally flat base 26 from which extends an upwardly sloping lower side wall 28. Above the side wall 28 is an outwardly extending flange which defines a circumferential shelf or ledge 24 within the bowl 12. Above the ledge 24 is an upper side wall partition 30 which terminates at the top of the bowl 12 in an outwardly directed top edge 32. (FIGS. 1 and 2)

The insert 14 is in the form of a thin disc or plate formed from plastic microwavable material that is configured to function as a tray within the bowl 12. The diameter of the circular insert 14 is such that it will fit onto the ledge 24 and thus divides the bowl 12 into upper and lower compartments 18, 20. The insert 14 is configured to have a number of holes or perforations 16 therethrough. The number, shape, size and distribution of these holes or perforations 16 is a matter of choice and may depend upon the nature of the food components 22 within the container 12. The pull tab 15 can be any shape, preferably a ring shape facing upwards from the insert 14. (FIGS. 2 and 4)

The container is preferably molded from an appropriate plastic material that is suitable for use in microwave ovens and preferably the plastic material is transparent or opaque.

The use of a thermoreversible gelling sauce 34 allows the sauce to be put in the food pack container while it is in a liquid state so that it forms a uniform layer of sauce (FIGS. 1 and 3). After chilling, the sauce gels and becomes immobilized when it reaches the gelling temperatures of the particular gelling agents used. Hydrated gelling agents are typically solid at lower temperatures and liquid at higher temperature. The gelled sauces are not heat-treated after the gelling agent is added to the sauce ingredients, therefore, the food pack requires cold storage until it is prepared for consumption. The shelf life of the sauce in the refrigerated food pack is preferably about two weeks. The shelf life of the refrigerated food pack will depend upon the fresh food components contained within the food pack, however, a typical shelf life would be about nine days of refrigeration after the food pack has been assembled.

The gelling agents used in the sauce can be used singly or in combination to produce the enrobed foods of the subject invention. A list of gelling agents includes at least the following compounds: gelatin, pectin, guar gums, carrageenans, konjac, algin, alginates, agar, locust bean gum, acacia gum, methylcellulose gum, carboxymethylcellulose gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose gum, microcrystalline cellulose gum, furcelleran gum, gellan gum, ghatti gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, and other natural gums.

Native and modified starches can also be used to create a gelled sauce and/or to stabilize the emulsion. The starches can be derived from a wide variety of plant sources including but not limited to potato, wheat, corn, tapioca, rice, and cassava. Starches can be used singly as gelling agents or in combination with other gels or gelling agents. As used in this specification, the term “gelling agent” includes starches.

Typically about 0.5-20% of a gelling agent/starch on a w/w basis would be added to the sauce to create a gelled sauce. Preferably 0.5-15% would be added and most preferably, 0.5-5% would be added. For example, starches used singly require the addition of about 5-15% starch by weight of the sauce (w/w) to create a gelled sauce. Other gelling agents such as agar would require the addition of about 0.5.-2% and gelatin would require the addition of about 1.5-5%.

In one embodiment, a sauce is made containing gelatin at 1.5 to 2.5% by weight of sauce. The gelling agent and/or sauce is dissolved in sauce ingredients to create a gel sauce such that when chilled, the gel sauce will transform into a gel. Typically, the sauce ingredients are mixed together and heated to a temperature between 85-94° C. The sauce is held at this temperature while being agitated until the gelling agent and/or starch is appropriately hydrated and dispersed throughout the sauce, typically one to ten minutes. The gel sauce is placed in the lower portion of the container while still warm and fluid and becomes solidified at a temperature below the coagulation temperature of the particular gelling agent used in the gel sauce. This preferably takes place in a refrigeration unit and can be done before and/or after the insert, food components and cover are added to the container. The food pack is kept chilled until it is prepared for consumption. The sauces can be either water or cream-based. If water-based, the water content of the sauces can be between about 33-87%, preferably 40-75% and most preferably 47-63%.

In the assembly of the food pack, a microwavable steamer food pack 10 is provided and a specified amount of the sauce 34 is placed in the lower portion 18 of the container 12 (FIG. 3). The insert 14 is placed in the container 14 with the pull tab 15 facing upwards (FIG. 4) and food components, such as noodles 22 a and vegetables 22 b, are placed on the insert 14 (FIG. 5 and 6). The food components 22 typically will fill the upper portion 20 of the bowl 12. The container 12 is covered with a sealing film 36 (FIG. 7) and/or a lid 38 (FIG. 1) and chilled in order to set the gel sauce 34 into a solid or semi-solid state. The gel sauce 34 can be chilled either upon dispensing the gel sauce in the lower portion 18 of the container 12 or after the food pack has been assembled. The food pack 10 allows for the gelled sauce 34 to remain separate from the food components 22 when the food pack 10 is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions.

EXAMPLE 1

One embodiment of the inventive food pack includes 2-3 oz of a honey ginger gel sauce in the lower portion of the container and positioned on the insert are 3-4 oz of Japanese-style noodles and 4 oz of a fresh pre-cut vegetable mixture comprising bok choy, red bell peppers, green onions and green beans. The sauce ingredients generally include sugar, starch and gelatin, acids, soy sauce, honey, ginger, oil, spices and flavors. The sauce is prepared as described above in paragraph [0030] and the food pack is assembled as described in paragraph [0031].

EXAMPLE 2

Another embodiment of the inventive food pack includes 3-5 oz of a Tomato basil gel sauce in the lower portion of the container and positioned on the insert are 5 oz. of precooked pasta, 3 oz of fresh pre-cut vegetable mixture and 2 oz of pre-cut, cooked sausage. The sauce ingredients generally include water, tomato paste, tomato chunks, starch and gelatin, herbs, sugar, flavors and grated cheese. The sauce is prepared as described above in paragraph [0030] and the food pack is assembled as described in paragraph [0031].

EXAMPLE 3

Another embodiment of the inventive food pack includes 3-4 oz of a sesame teriyaki gel sauce in the lower portion of the container and 8-10 oz of pre-cooked potstickers or siomai on the insert. The sauce ingredients generally include water, soy sauce, sugar, gelatin and starch, spices and flavors. The sauce is prepared as described above in paragraph [0030] and the food pack is assembled as described in paragraph [0031].

EXAMPLE 4

Another embodiment of the inventive food pack includes 2-3 oz of a spicy peanut gel sauce in the lower portion of the container and positioned on the insert are 3-4 oz of cooked Singapore-style thin noodles and 4-5 oz of fresh pre-cut vegetable mixture comprising cabbage, carrots, Chinese long beans and broccoli. The sauce ingredients generally include water, soy sauce, tomato paste, sugar, starch and gelatin, spices and flavors. The sauce is prepared as described above in paragraph [0030] and the food pack is assembled as described in paragraph [0031].

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

1. Microwavable steamer food pack comprising: a microwavable container having a lower portion, an upper portion and a top edge; an insert having a plurality of opening, the insert being positioned between the lower and upper portion of the container; a gelled sauce in the lower portion of the container; food components positioned on the insert and extending into the upper portion of the container; a covering secured to the container; wherein the gelled sauce remains in a solid or semi-solid state and is separate from the food components when the food pack is stored under chilled conditions.
 2. The food pack of claim 1, wherein the lower portion has a smaller dimension than the upper portion.
 3. The food-pack of claim 1, wherein the insert has a pull tab for removing the insert from the container.
 4. The food pack of claim 1, wherein a ledge is positioned between the lower and upper portion of the container for engaging the insert.
 5. The food pack of claim 1, wherein the openings in the insert are perforations.
 6. The food pack of claim 1, wherein the gelled sauce is a thermoreversible gel sauce.
 7. The food pack of claim 1, wherein the gelled sauce includes 0.5-20% gelling agent.
 8. The food pack of claim 8, wherein the gelling agent is selected from a group consisting of gelatin, pectin, guar gums, carrageenans, konjac, algin, alginates, agar, locust bean gum, acacia gum, methylcellulose gum, carboxymethylcellulose gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose gum, microcrystalline cellulose gum, furcelleran gum, gellan gum, ghatti gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, other natural gums, and native and modified starches.
 9. The food pack of claim 1, wherein the container and insert are formed from a microwavable material.
 10. A method of producing a microwavable steamer food pack comprising the steps of providing a container having a lower portion, an upper portion and a top edge; dispensing a gel sauce into the lower portion of the container; placing an insert having openings between the lower and upper portions of the container; placing food components on the insert; securing a covering on the container; chilling the food pack so as to allow the gel sauce to form into a solid or semi-solid state; wherein the food pack allows for the gelled sauce to remain separate from the food components when the food pack is stored in a vertical position under chilled conditions.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the openings in the insert are perforations.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the covering is a sealing film covering the opening of the container which is secured to the top edge of the container.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the covering is a removable semi-rigid lid secured to the top edge of the container.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the gelled sauce is a thermoreversible gel sauce.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the gelled sauce includes 0.5-20% gelling agent.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the gelling agent is selected from a group consisting of gelatin, pectin, guar gums, carrageenans, konjac, algin, alginates, agar, locust bean gum, acacia gum, methylcellulose gum, carboxymethylcellulose gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose gum, microcrystalline cellulose gum, furcelleran gum, gellan gum, ghatti gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, other natural gums, and native and modified starches.
 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the sauce ingredients are selected from a group consisting of water, tomato paste, sweeteners, soy sauce, fruit, chopped nuts, herbs, spices, flavorings and acids.
 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the food components are selected from a group consisting of noodles, rice, pasta, bread, vegetables, cooked eggs, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, pot stickers, buns, and dumplings.
 19. The method of claim 10, wherein the container and insert are formed from a microwavable material.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the microwavable material is transparent or opaque. 